Seconds in Heaven by Joy's niece, Faith

My daughter Faith, who is 9 years old, wrote this 

about a vision she had a few months after Joy died. She gave it as a speech in her language arts class. I asked her and she agreed to let me share it with you.a9

(Joy's sister, Charity Bausum)

     My Aunt Joy, who was a missionary, died in Malaysia, and I asked God to give me a vision of how she was doing in heaven. I was feeling traumatized since she passed away, and I hoped that seeing her in heaven would help me realize she was okay.

     The next day I was feeling tired and sad so I closed my eyes. There she was, standing at the top of a hill made of clouds. The clouds were the color of a sunset, with shades of gold, orange and yellow. Aunt Joy was glancing around as if she wasn’t sure what was happening.Standing next to her on the hill was Jesus. He wore a white robe with a sash across his shoulder. He glowed so brightly that my eyes could hardly gaze upon Him, but just one glimpse of Him calmed my broken heart.

     Suddenly, Aunt Joy noticed me standing at the bottom of the hill. Immediately she dashed toward me. As she ran, I noticed how happy she appeared. She was wearing a robe similar to Jesus, but her sash was tied in a bow around her waist. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail just the same as when she was alive. She was smiling more happily than she had ever smiled at me before and it warmed my heart. When she finally reached me, she hugged me so tightly I could barely breathe, but I didn’t even notice it. Aunt Joy and I stood at the bottom of the hill hugging for several seconds, and then my vision of heaven was over.

This article was used with permission from Russell Board who writes the Asia/Pacific Updates, IPHC World Missions in the Asia/Pacific Region.

Joy's parents, Dan and Patty Bausum, traveled to Malaysia months after Joy's death for the dedication of The Joy Bausum School.

Malaysia

December 13, 2010

Joy Bausum School

On November 12, the Joy Bausum School was officially dedicated in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This is the school for Burmese refugees where 26-year-old SOW missionary Joy Bausum was working when she was suddenly stricken with a massive cerebral hemorrhage that took her life.

Participants in the dedication ceremony included Presiding Bishop Ron Carpenter and World Missions Executive Director Doug Beacham, as well as Joy’s parents Daniel and Patti Bausum. Bishops Carpenter and Beacham spoke to the schoolchildren and guests about Joy’s commitment to serve the Lord, and encouraged the students to follow in her steps. Her parents also spoke to the students, emphasizing that Joy was an ordinary girl who gave her life to the Lord, and ended up being used by God in extraordinary ways.

IPHC ministers Henry and Serena Martinus operate the school, which serves about 75 children from Myanmar, whose families have fled persecution in their home country. These families struggle to eke out a living while their applications for refuge in America or Europe are processed by the UN, which takes two to three years.

Henry and Serena have a vision to start many Joy Bausum Schools to serve refugee communities in Malaysia and beyond. They welcome young (or not-so-young) people like Joy to join them, short-term or long, in the rewarding work of redeeming lives and giving children a solid foundation on which to build a future of hope in Christ.

Donations to support the school can be sent to World Missions, PO Box 12609, Oklahoma City, OK 73157. For online donations, gohere.

Posted at 02:49 PM in Malaysia, Missions, Myanmar | Permalink | Comments (0) |TrackBack (0) ShareThis

How Great is Our God (World Edition Live)

Posted by Joy's mom, Patty, on Joy's Facebook page. 


"This song was sung at Joy's Memorial Service. Wouldn't she love the cross cultural flavor?! Well, She IS hearing it right now, and oh how she must love the worship of the nations!!"     

Beautiful.

Comment from Stan

I have been keeping up with this blog (where did “blog” come from, anyhow?) and I am always amazed at y’all’s timing to bring things further to the Glory of Jesus! As you travel, rest assured that all of us at Camden Christian/Calvary Community are bathing you in prayer, believing for miracles in your lives, and in miracles being assigned jewels in the crown of Joy, even as she sits at the feet of our Lord.
God bless
stan

Excerpt from One of Joy's Last Support Letters

While we did not think much about it when Joy distributed this letter in the Spring of 2010, looking at it now seems like her words were prophetic. Below are the first two paragraphs:

" Greetings Friends, Family and Coworkers in the Gospel! I Googled the word 'Travel' recently and found this definition: TRAVEL - TO ADVANCE, TO MOVE FORWARD!

"Almost two years ago now, I was traveling in Indonesia when the Lord gave me a picture in my spirit and began speaking to me. In the picture, I saw Jesus above me reaching out His hand as if to say 'Come up here my Beloved Child. I want to show you this and lead you here.' I remember being initially afraid; afraid of the unknown and not sure what the next step would look like. Now, almost two years later, as I prepare to 'TRAVEL' again, He has given me a bit more insight on how to walk that word out.

"Early in 2009 I finished up my 2 year commitment to Overland Missions. The lessons I learned and the friendships I made during my time in FL with them will last a lifetime. Knowing the Lord was calling me back to my South Carolina 'home', and clinging to the promise that Heaven is my real 'HOME', I said goodbye again and moved away. I prefer to say it more like 'I'll see you later' as I part ways with my friends. :) ...."

I am glad she made it HOME!

Dan Bausum

Kind tribute from Mr Stan

When Joy left on her first trip we all laid hands on her to give her the courage to do all that her Lord wanted her to do. In those ensuing years since that trip, I drew encouragement from her, and her contagious enthusiasm.
I went to Camden Christian as a 'scared, but sort of willing' witness for her Lord, the sovereign King of All Kings.
Through these years, I've tried to be an encourager to her, and all the Bausum family. We went through square-dance classes as I watched the Bausum girls grow in grace and stature. Their early dance routines, grew more and more graceful and they became beautiful women of God, all the while under the watchful eyes of a God-fearing Mom, that bathed them daily in the Word of The Lord.
There were countless pot-lucks to send out other "witnesses" into all the world to bring the Gospel to all the world, Matthew 28:19,20 some were service members going to other parts of the country,  some were long time missionaries, whose families often travelled with them. There were organizations out in the mission field, some as trainers for other to teach, and still others that came from other lands and spoke of the wonderful Works being done in foreign lands. Our Joy, I know that I had little to do with her love of witnessing fields of foreign lands, but I still felt like a part of the "whole village that raises up a child," who was such an encouragement to a "timid" witness as I was. I will never hope to reach the numbers of people that Joy has, and will continue to touch through her work for The Lord that she is now walking with in the cool of the day, but there are souls that that same Lord has used me to make the prayer of repentance, and acceptance of His saving grace, that were probably a direct result of my taking encouragement from a child raised up to serve the Lord.
I truly thank My Lord for loaning me a few of that precious child's hours of her strength and fearlessness and having been blessed to know parents that were not afraid to raise up a child in the way they should go and they won't stray from it.

Mr. Stan

Note from Chris Ellison

I just wanted to contribute something about my friendship with Joy, and also my relationship with Dan Bausum. I have been through some struggles in my life that have changed me. They have made me doubt, and they have made me falter at times. I have lost faith and confidence in the Lord's willingness to bring me out of situations. Life has made me harder, and I have even felt toyed with on occasion. The one thing I have always appreciated about Joy, and Mr. Dan is the fact that you two always had a knack for reminding me that God never left me. He never forgot about me. I am not some science experiment in a jar that undergoes stress tests to see when I will break. I can't thank you enough for how you have poured into my life. It was one of the truest expressions of friendship I have ever felt.
As I was driving down the road today, I heard a song that reminded me of Joy, and Dan Bausum. Thank you for helping me realize that I need to recognize that the Lord is already here for me.
Chris
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YkmZBV6AXc